Research Briefing
Greece’s long-standing public debt problem became a crisis at the start of 2010 and has since escalated to a point where it threatens the survival of the euro. This note describes the country's May 2010 and February 2012 bail-out agreements, the results of the May 2012 elections, future prospects, and implications of euro exit
Research Briefing
This note looks at the Treaty base for EMU and some of the informal suggestions as to how Greece might legally leave the euro and/or the EU.
Research Briefing
Ukraine is due to host the Euro2012 football competition jointly with Poland from 8 June to 1 July. Ukraine's human rights record has led to calls for a boycott.
Research Briefing
Croatia is expected to join the EU in July 2013. A Croatia Accession Bill, announced in the Queen’s Speech, would allow the UK to ratify Croatia’s accession treaty. But issues around the judiciary, corruption and shipyards are not yet fully resolved.
Research Briefing
After winning the 2011 competition in Düsseldorf, Azerbaijan will be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest from 22 to 26 May 2012 in the capital, Baku, despite calls for a boycott.
Research Briefing
This Note looks at UK Government and Civil Service structures and culture; what happens at the UK-EU interface, and methods for transposing EU law into UK law.
Research Briefing
Armenia has recently held a parliamentary election that appeared to show that the country’s political culture is making some progress. There remain two big problems in Armenia’s relations with other countries: its occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, which observers fear may spark another war, and the argument over whether the 1915 massacres amounted to genocide.
Research Briefing
In the run-up to the second and final round of voting in France’s presidential elections on Sunday 6 May 2012, the Socialist François Hollande still appears to be the favourite to win.
Research Briefing
This note explains how funding from the European Regional Development Fund is allocated across regions in England and sets out current progress on spending the funds. It also provides information on the 2014-2020 funding round.
Research Briefing
This Note brings together documents relevant to the proposed legislation establishing the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service and its scrutiny in the UK and the EU. It is not an attempt to define policy in this area. For information on the institutional issues or policy developments, contact Vaughne Miller on extn 4327 or Claire Taylor on extn 3852. See also SN/IA/5558 The European External Action Service
Research Briefing
This Note considers the background to the ‘yellow card’ subsidiarity early warning mechanism and its application in practice since the Lisbon Treaty came into force.
Research Briefing
Recent parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia led to the return of Vladimir Putin as President of Russian Federation from May 2012. There has been a crisis in legitimacy of Putinism and moves to restore faith in the system, but the looming economic problems threaten the system and carrying through genuine reform will be difficult.
Research Briefing
This Note looks briefly at views on the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union in the other EU Member States, the US, China and Russia.
Research Briefing
This note describes the 'fiscal compact' agreed by 25 EU Member States in March 2012 and associated economic issues.
Research Briefing
This paper looks at the background to the TSCG, the reasons for the UK’s non-participation and some of the issues it raises, such as its effectiveness, its relationship with the EU Treaties and EU law, the use of the EU institutions in a non-EU treaty, and whether it could give rise to a ‘two-speed’ Europe and further UK isolation in the EU.
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